> Everlasting Darkness
>  by Lilith911
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The Seeds of Doubt
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Prologue
The Seeds of Doubt
Written by: Vic viper and Lilith911


The cool air blew over my balcony as I stood looking over my... no our, kingdom. The grand spires of Canterlot towering over the rest of the land and casting long shadows in the moonlight far and wide. The sweet, crisp smell of the night air still lingering softly before the dawn. I remembered fondly all the growth the city had achieved since our defeat of Discord.
The time had come again, as it did every morning, for me to release the world from the dark embrace of the night and bring forth the sun and a new day, but it was tiring and I had just woken up, I wonder if our subjects would notice another five minutes of night today? I had been over this many times within my own head, but I always stuck true to my one divine job, the one reason I share the throne with my sister.
Mm that was a wonderful rest, and now it is time for a new day to dawn.The night had been a long one and I was looking forward to my Sun’s return. However...something was wrong, my magic was not working, something was holding it back. I wonder if Lulu is having the same issues as I am? I take one last glance at the beautiful sight and begin my day...well night at the moment.
With a quick brush of my teeth and mane, I was off. I kept a brisk pace through the halls of the castle, searching for my beloved sister. She was not in her room nor was she in the dining hall. Maybe she is in the throne room still. I mentally ponder, heading towards the throne room in haste of finding my sister. Hopefully she is alright…
Upon reaching the doors to the throne room, I felt a dark magic emanating from the inside. Fearing the worst for Luna, I barged right through the double doors, flaring my wings, and activating my magic.
“Foul Demon! I will strike...you...down?” Confused...I was sure I felt evil at work, but all I see is my sister on the throne, albeit she does look different, she had changed her coat to a black color from her natural blue color. She was well known for her great skill in transformation magic, and she had taken to this newer form, but now she wore her armor alongside it. 
"Well well well, my dear sister has finally decided to grace us with her presence" Luna laughed "Well I will have you know that you are not needed here anymore!"
I was very confused to say the least "What do you mean Luna?" I tried to walk further into the room, but I was stopped by a swirling mass of purple energy
"Ah ah ah sister, this is my throne room now." she looks at her hoof "And I am Luna no longer."
A creeping feeling slithered up and down my wings at her words. "What do you mean Luna? is something wrong?" I tried to enter again and was stopped once more.
Luna was not making any sense and then she laughed "Something has been wrong for far too long..." she trailed off, looking out the great windows to see the full moon out in the sky "But that changes tonight sister. no longer will I be content in my spot second to you!" 
She got up and walked slowly forward, staring me in the eye as she approached "You raise the sun every day, that is it, you do not struggle to make your day perfect for your subjects! While I toil away every night to make each sky perfect. and yet," her mane changed, from her normal flowing blue one to an ethereal mass of swirling stars "you get all the adoration! you get to have everypony play and work in the day while all they do is sleep," she spat on the ground "during my night"
I was shocked "Luna... I... what do you mean?"
She leveled her head at me, horn aimed at my heart and spoke again, even her voice changing to a more sinister one "My name is no longer Luna, from now on I shall be known as Nightmare Moon, the queen of Equestria and ruler of this eternal night"
I had only a moment to realise what the glowing on her lowered horn ment and dodge out of the way before the barrier fell away, as my sister sent a shot of charged energy rocketing at me, blasting away the doors to the grand entryway where I had been standing a moment before.
Acting on instinct, I lowered myself into a battle stance, leveling my horn and sending a charged energy shot of my own, blasting into her side and sending her tumbling across the room to hit the side wall with a resounding crack. "Luna!" horrified at what I had done, I charged across the room to her body, ignoring the fact that she had just attacked me.
When I reached her slightly smoking form I asked "Are you alright?" She lay still, unmoving "Luna..."
I started to cry and I stood there for a few seconds. then I felt something nearing my back, a brief second later I was smashed to the ground by a large wooden beam. 	Stunned and bleeding, I lay there on the ground, mostly oblivious to the world around me. I was brought back to the world when an armored hoof knocked my crown from my head before slamming down on my muzzle.
The hoof raised itself, "You no longer have any power in this kingdom" and then slammed down again, breaking away teeth and knocking me back into oblivion.
My whole head was throbbing, but i managed to retain enough sense to try and cast a spell to blast her away. When my spell connected with her chest, instead of being flung back, she merely grunted and gripped the post she had first hit me with and held it over my head "Pathetic sister, I am more powerful than you by far," She made to swing it down, but stopped at the last second, a large splinter nearly poking out my eye. "I have spent months researching the spell of the vampir, I have stolen the lives of your whole Royal guard...and even a few of their offspring as well. Mmm I can hear them even now. Their delightful screams as I tore away at their bodies" she licked her lips and my heart fell, crushed as I realised they were all dead, their life force devoured by my once sweet sister for power she needed to overpower me. 
I began to sob on the floor at the loss, feeling even worse for the fact that I had told Smiles to bring his children today. As I sobbed, she looked down on me "And as much as I want to, I'm not going to let their sacrifice go to waste." She raised the beam and swung it down on my leg shattering the bone and pulverizing the flesh from the sheer amount of force "How does it feel sister! To be helpless, to not be able to do anything as you are reduced to a powerless and weak thing, not worthy of kissing my hooves." she then began to beat at my body viciously.
She took the beam and slammed it over and over on my chest. I could feel as individual splinters of bone began to enter my lungs and other organs, tearing apart the already mutilated sacks of flesh. Then she moved on to my limbs, making sure to break each bone in my leg in several places before moving onto the next. When they were mangled and bent out of shape and I was coughing blood, she finally paused "What are you thinking now? I know you will heal, but how does it feel to be broken and useless?" When I didn't immediately answer she flew into a rage.
I tried to remove myself from the situation, but that did little to deter from the pain that I was still aware of. Luna was smashing the old beam she had ripped from the roof over and over on body, not even giving me a moments rest as she gleefully painted the floor in her own sisters blood.
“L-Luna...s-stop...p-please!” I desperately whimpered to my sister, she hit me one more time, breaking a few upper ribs in the process, before stopping and staring at me with hatred in her eyes.
“I am Luna NO LONGER! I am NIGHTMARE MOON!!” Lighting struck my half broken form as she screamed out her new name, flinging my body across the room while cauterizing my numerous wounds. 
“And I will be the new ruler of equestria! Ponies from all around will come to adore me! Worship me! Think of only me! Just as they did with you!” Lu-Nightmare Moon was trotting toward my body like a predator approaching its prey. Her eyes glared at me with such hate, I could not bring myself to speak.
“Today is the day of a new night! Today the moon will not leave the sky! And then," She chuckled, "All of your little ponies will see who the real goddess is.” Nightmare stopped in front of a window and stared at her moon and sky with a sorrowful gaze.
“It's okay, soon they will all love you, and you will get the love you deserve…” I decided to take a chance and I started to charge up my horn for an escape. My only chance do defeat her now was to wield and use the elements of harmony.
“As for you, I will make sure you feel the suffering I ha-STOP!” Nightmare noticed too late that I had charged up enough magic to teleport myself inside the vault of harmony, and before she could utter another sound, or send another bolt, I was gone.
I lay on the floor of the ancient chamber for a few seconds, letting my bones heal themselves a little before I got up. The process was excruciating, my broken bones were sending stabs of pain into my flesh all over again in the process. Minutes pass as I poured magic into my own body, first going for my shattered cartilage. 
the first task was moving the shards of bone back into their places and melding the finished masses back together. After that I proceeded to force them back into their respective joints. As they moved beneath my flesh several cracks sounded through the chamber. After the last crack sounded I stood tall on my feet, my destroyed body being fully supported. 
The next matter of the healing was less important, but still necessary. I transferred the flow of magic from my bones to my flesh, the magic steadily repairing destroyed muscles and organs. Little by little my flesh went from the bloody torn mass it was, to the pristine white coat it once was, while at the same time my punctures lungs patched themselves up and reinflated, followed by the rest or the the damaged internal structures.
My final task was minimal, but it was more worth it to finish the job than to let the healing magic go to waste. for the second and last time, I redirected the flow of my magic to my wings realigning the delicate structures and regrowing multitudes of lost feathers. 
Finally healed, I walked over towards the pedestal which housed the elements. The elements were glowing brightly as usual. Luna's three taking the form of a golden banded necklace with a large moon jewel set into the centerpiece. Her three elements lent their hues to the gem, showing her as the bearer of Honesty, Loyalty, and Laughter. sitting in the middle atop a small pedestal, my crown sat, the great sun jem nearly radiating light and portraying me as the bearer of the elements of Kindness, Generosity, and Magic.
I walked forward and gently took up the necklace with my magic, Luna's symbol rose up to greet me and I wondered if they would even work for her anymore. I gently slipped it over my neck and felt a dull rush as they connected with me. I was not their master, but they had none currently and I was a suitable replacement for the moment.
Next, I brought my crown up to me. Unlike with the necklace, once it rested upon my head there was a small explosion in my mind as they connected with my very soul. A vortex of prismatic colors swirled around my body as my elements connected once again to their bearer. Once the light show was finished and I had returned mostly to normal I turned back towards the vault door, and my sister.  
“Oh my beloved sister~ I knew thou would come here~ now come out to play!”  Nightmare spat out with venomous intent as she sent a concussive force, against the normal laws of magic, to blast me towards her from behind. instead of the spell sending me through the doorway though, the elements shined as one and the blast went through and around me to hit the caster herself and send her barreling through the vault door.
I slowly trotted out after her "Luna, please, stop this madness and return to your place by my side"  
As I walked out I came face to face with my sister, smoke rose from a small crater in the towers opposite wall, snarling, she hissed loudly “Are you so weak, that you must depend on jewelry to fight me!” She spat out "We will never be and have never been equal!" 
I dodged out of the way as she sent a slab of stone slicing through the air towards me "What do you mean sister? We have always ruled side by side!" the slab crashed into the place I had been standing half a second earlier and both the stone floor, and the rubble were crushed. "Stop it before I have to stop you myself!"
She ignored my words and charged at me with her horn lowered "We have never been equal!"
I let her get close, hoping that she would change her mind and back down. When she was a few meters away, I let one more tear slide down my face before calling on the elements. 
“I am sorry Luna...you leave me no choice…” My eyes glowed a blinding white light as I was brought into the air. The elements disconnecting from their respective places and circling me, Nightmare's eyes widened and she was flung back from her place right in front of me. 
Nightmare tried to cast two spells, one to catch herself, and one to try to stop me...but it was too late, I unleashed the elements. Their prismatic colors surging forward in a bright line of harmony, descending towards her like an unstoppable tide. Upon reaching her it wrapped around her and began to swirl. 
First her legs were caught, then her torso as it rose up to engulf her, she tried to pull away, but failed. she looked at me with hatred before her eyes seemed to lose their luster and it was replaced by something much older and more powerful. it took me a second to recognise the signs of a prophecy and a few more before I leaned in to make sure I heard it. When she next spoke, I found that it was unnecessary, she spoke with a deep, commanding voice that drowned everything else in the room out.


Sister!
After I return,
And Chaos has reigned,
When harmony lies inert to your call.
The skies will burn,
And all life will be chained,
Born unto you
a newborn star
.

I then watched as her eyes returned to their normal luster and her look of serene knowledge changed first to confusion and then back to hatred just before the vortex fully engulfed her. I knew that the elements wouldn't kill her, they were not capable of that kind of power, but they would do something to try to give her time alone to calm herself.
I watched and heard in silence as the vortex lifted from the ground and shot away , into the now dawn sky. As It left view I heard several cracks as the elements clattered to the floor and I with them. I looked one last time into the sky and whispered
“Goodbye...my dear sister...I love you” 
And then...I was alone again.



*     *     *

      Dear Journal, 
Today is unlike any other day in my entire lifetime...that is to say, very long. I met the love of my life 20 years ago. She was just a small little filly back then with enormous potential. I quickly made her my personal student, and over the years I watched her grow, in beauty and in magical prowess. a year and a half ago she announced her love for me, and a year and a half later...our child is being born. The express my happiness, to express my joy, it would be like trying to measure life itself, it is just not possible. Even now it takes all my will just to write a few little words on a flimsy piece of paper as I hear the pangs of pain coming from my beloved, bearing our child.
Even though it hurts...Twilight keeps smiling, never once has she stopped ever since she went into labor. She tells me there's nothing else she can do but smile….and get the baby out. It’s nice to know Twilight’s sense of humor is still chugging along through all she has been through. I can only imagine the pain she is going through right now….and who knows, one day I might actua-
“AHHH IT’S HERE, SHE IS COMING OUT NOWWWW! “ Twilight screamed as she gripped my hoof hard...and then the joyous sounds of a small filly crying permeated throughout the room.
“Oh...oh...let...let me...see her..” Twilight breathlessly called out, her hoofs pawing at the air for our beloved child. The nurse brought the newborn to Twilight, giving her a soft nuzzle across her cheek. I smile at the motherly gesture and shift my head slightly to look at my daughters face. She looked so beautiful.
She had a light covering of fuzz all over her body, showing her as being a pleasant peach color. Her mane was starting to grow out as well, it was a lime green color... as I looked at it, I started to see some glimmers in the strands, but I brushed it off as a trick of the afternoon light. her eyes were closed and she was gurgling in twilights arms.
for the first time in many thousands of years my heart stopped for a moment, so struck by my... our beautiful daughter, that I felt faint
As Twilight curled up with our new daughter my sister walked in, tears of joy streaming down her own face as we embraced "I am so happy for you my dear sister" I was about to respond when I saw my daughter open her eyes for the first time.
They opened and I saw her amethyst eyes look out at the world for the first time in wonder as she gurgled again and snuggled into Twilight. the sight was beyond adorable, and i would have gone to them, but while holding my sister, I saw a glow in the child's eyes, not much, but coupled with the now glittering mane, I realised that she, our daughter, was going to be immensely powerful.
that would have been wonderful in of itself, but at that moment, holding my sister, I remembered the last words I had ever heard her darker side utter, a dark prophecy. Telling of great destruction coming from a newborn star, born unto me. the thought did not mean to much to me, so happy was I at that moment, but now here, looking at them sleep, I can't help but wonder, is she, Astra Sparkle, our daughter, the one Nightmare moon spoke of?
I can think no more of it, Twilight beckons me to our bed. I shall not think of this again, the prophecy was merely a rant from a mare who knew she had lost, there was no way that she could have predicted the destruction of the world... at the hands of my own daughter... 
> Joyous Beginnings and Startling Discoveries
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        I lay in bed, basking in the morning light that streamed through my open balcony doorway like I had not for many years. Luna was taking care of my job of raising the sun for me in honor of the joyous event that had taken place the night before, and I was going to take full advantage of my day off to spend time with my lover, and our brand new daughter, Astra. 
        
        I rolled over and came face to face with a still sleeping Twilight with Astra snuggled in between her hooves. It was a beautiful sight, the morning sun was shining on their sleeping forms and making Twilight's hair shine with a healthy glow. It was hard to believe that she had been giving birth less than a day ago, she looked so happy and peaceful... actually, I could believe it, it was morning and she was still asleep. On a normal day she would wake early with me to start on her ongoing studies prepare for her classes.


        It seem like it was just yesterday when I first saw Twilight, her glowing form, shining brightly with enthusiasm.  I remember her being scared and afraid when she first saw me that day after a display of great power. She had hatched a dragon egg, a feat in of it's own, and then accelerated said dragon's  growth exponentially, fully maturing its body in a matter of seconds! not to mention all the other things she did while in the same state, and all as a little filly. 

        I had known that she was destined for greatness at that moment, what I had not known, was that she would capture my heart.

        At first it was just a simple teacher-student relationship...But as she began to grow, she began to develop... more mature feelings for me. I had noticed the change, and while I had loved her as a mother would a daughter, I had not even considered her as a possible mate. 
        
        She was young, and I was nearly 3 thousand years old, and on top of that, no matter how powerful she was, she was still a unicorn while I am an alicorn. 

        When i sent her to Ponyville all those years ago to learn her lessons in the heart of magic, I hardly expected the result. Not only did she return my sister to her uncorrupted self, something I thought impossible, but she and her friends went on to defeat god after god, even defeating me when I was corrupted myself a few years ago.
        
        that was what did it, once I had been purged, I later found out from my sister that Twilight had been the only one fighting to try to use the elements on me rather than kill me. The reason why is not important now though. 

         When I learned of that, I finally started to open my heart to the now fully grown mare. What happened next makes my heart do a little flip every time I remember it.

        She asked to court me, she came up to me during a court session in disguise and asked me when her turn came. her question was not normal though, it took the form of an astral courting song that I had thought lost to the ages, none but those of the alicon race could understand its meaning.

        The following events led up to this day from our courting to our copulation, that was... interesting, and finally, to last night, to the birth of our daughter Astra.

        As I contemplated the past and watched my lover and daughter sleep, letting my hair flow over them like a blanket, I saw Astra begin to stir. I gazed lovingly at her and I saw as she opened her eyes, and began to cry. I was not expecting it, I jumped out of bed and rushed around to them. She was only crying softly, not wailing yet, but I hadn't lived for as long as I have without learning a thing or two about foals. 

        Twilight was still sleeping, and she probably would stay that way if not disturbed for quite some time, so I wanted to take care of Astra's need's quickly. I reached around with my magic to lift her up, only to find that she was shielded. 

        at first I thought that Twilight was shielding her, somehow, in her sleep, but the longer I stayed in contact with the blocking force the more I realized that it had an alien feel to it, not that of Twilight, but someone else.

        It was a strange, paralyzing feel that left my mouth bitter with the taste of electricity, much like being struck by a lightning bolt, but it was coming from a shield.

         most unicorns learned at a young age the skill of shielding oneself from other's levitation, in fact, many naturally started to do so without even knowing what they were doing well before they learned how to manipulate other things with magic, but while they did so themselves, there there had never been one to do so before the age of four, and that had been twilight if I remembered correctly.

        Of course, that being said, there was no way that Astra could make one. realizing that, and knowing that i did not recognize the magical signature holding her, my mind immediately went to thoughts of a pony napper.
          
        I had taken great pains over the years to make my... our kingdom a peaceful and harmonious place for all of my subjects, but there were still those who remained committed to lives of crime and depravity. The fact that one such pony was so twisted that they would try to steal Equestrian’s princess so soon after birth saddened me, there would be no forgiveness from the law for this one.

I cast my magic out, searching for any kind of intruder. Rapidly letting my vast pool of energy bubble up and radiate from my horn in an imperceptible aura of sensory magic, fine tuned over my centuries of practice to notify me of any and all malicious intent nearby. After sweeping the room and finding nothing, I quickly pour more of my magic into the aura, letting it spread and spread till it encompassed the whole castle.
 
There was nothing more than a duo of small colts in the kitchen considering stealing some of the royal bakery’s cake. My eyes widened in anger, then amusement, before I laughed and let out a shaky breath. The magic seeped back to me, slightly lessened due to the effect, but still a good amount.
 
I turned back to my daughter and mate, gently probing the shield again to see if the magic could be traced to see where it was coming from. A longer technique, but worth it to find out what artifact or being was responsible. I encased my sleeping filly in a levitation field and then shrunk it till it fit the contours of the imperceptible shield. With that finished, I mentally examined it, looking for the tiny string leading away. Nearly no magical users were capable of this, neither able to properly surround the shielded item, nor to pick out the barely noticeable strand coming from it.
 
After a minute of searching, then another, and another, combing over it multiple times, I was finally able to admit to myself what I feared; that the shield was coming from nowhere, but instead from the little unicorn filly herself. There was pride, and there was fear. My mind was conflicted in its feelings, well aware that Astra had just destroyed even my own feat of self-shielding at the age of one. It sent a thrum of pleasure through my chest, her lack of alicorn status seemingly not an issue in terms of raw power, but an intertwined spike of fear through my mind. If she was this adept on her first day…
 
Images swam across my eyes as I saw and partially relived Twilight’s magical awakening. Her eyes flooding the area before her with even more light as her tiny form spun in the air. Slowly, her fur started to change color as the background changed color and an image of a barren waste flickered behind the image of… a lightly peach colored Twilight, green roots sparkling from the roots of her striped mane.
 
My memories were interrupted by a cry, her cry. I quickly shook my head of the past and brought my long hoof down, scooping her up and bringing her to my chest while I walk over to my balcony overlooking the city. I lightly nuzzled her to settle her down and levitated a small bottle of milk over to her mouth, cooing softly as her little peach hooves grasped the bottle and hugged it to her chest while closing her bright eyes and slowly draining the bottle of its contents in my arm.
 
I smile and nuzzle her again, her tiny form making my heart nearly break from adoration as for the first time in my very long life, something seemed to pale the scene before me, drawing my attention in and captivating me. Her eyes opened, looking me straight in the eye. Her eyes held wonder, and she dropped the bottle she was holding and she pawed at the air towards my face. A little shocked, I lowered my head in compliance, and then was greeted to not a little face, but a soft belly as she pulled my muzzle down with her hooves and started laughing while she stroked my flowing mane.
 
Seeing an opportunity, I purse my lips and blew onto the lightly furred belly, making an unrefined noise and causing her to squeal and start laughing in her own baby way as I tickled her.
 
“Good morning sister,” I stopped blowing and after a moment Astra slowly ceased her giggling and hit my muzzle for more. My eyes were instead locked with the regal princess of the night’s and she smiled, “aren’t I supposed to be the one devouring fillies and foals?” she smirked
 
I nuzzled Astra once more and raised my head, bringing the bottle she had dropped back up to her so that I could talk with my sister “Don’t let me stop you,” Luna’s smirk got wider and she landed next to me on the balcony, looking at Astra herself and letting off a soft purring noise, “You deserve a break from etiquette.”
 
“Is that so?” I grinned and extended my wing, jabbing her in the side “have you decided you like working full time by chance?”
 
Her eyes widened and she chuckled “not on my life, I am fine with taking over for a while during your leave, but I recognize now that I was never fit to lead by myself.” She sighed “the arguments, and the court, not to mention the paperwork I have to deal with during the day!” before she could continue, Astra gurgled and her bottle fell back to the floor, empty.
 
She let out a soft yawn and snuggled into my chest, hiding herself from the world to drift off to sleep again. Luna ended her slight rant and sat down next to me “She’s beautiful, I’m sure she will grow up to be a fine mare.” I’m sure she will
 
“Luna,” I pause to gather my thoughts, “she is stronger than I was, or you, or Twilight,” my sister glanced down at her, raising her eyebrow.
 
“What do you mean sister?” she inquired, reaching out a gentle hoof and stroking the beginnings of a mane on her head.
 
“When I tried to pick her up from Twilight… she, she is already shielding herself, I had to pick her up with my hooves.” Her eyes widened and her horn started glowing, undoubtedly checking for herself.
 
“Impossible, her magic pool couldn’t possibly have formed yet. Did you check for-”
 
I didn’t give her a chance to finish “Yes, and artifact involvement as well” I gently bumped her horn with my wing, knocking her from her daze and hopefully stopping her from trying any more drastic analysis methods on the sleeping filly.
 
“but, but,” she stuttered, her mouth hanging slightly open. She sat there a moment, her mouth slowly closing and she nodded her head, looking back inside my room at Twilight’s sleeping form. Her ear twitched, a motion I knew well, indicating a summons of the court, “I suppose it is to be expected, mixing the most gifted unicorn on the planet with the most powerful alicorn on the planet was bound to create… give birth to… a powerful mare.” She stood up, flicking her mane slightly and spreading her wings “I must leave, this is the longest break I have all day and I wanted to see my first blood niece in this time.”
 
She took off before anything more could be said and I was left on the balcony almost alone with my thoughts and my sleeping filly. Luna seemed to be okay with how unnaturally powerful Astra seemed for her age, crediting it to her parents. Which, when I thought about it, made sense, she could have a mixture of Twilight’s power ratio, and just add it to my alicorn power as opposed to unicorn power.
 
My thoughts faltered, it was hard enough to factor in Luna and I as average alicorns. But then when you added Twilight’s ratio of power to the mix, it was nearly unfathomable.
 
My thoughts shifted back to the memory from earlier, bringing up specifically the moment when Twilight, or who I now suspected was Astra, was in front of a barren waste. It was only for a moment, but I had thought I had seen rubble.
 
I was once again brought from my memories by a shiver from the fuzzball in my arms “let’s get you inside and back to bed” I softly whisper to her. Giving one last glance to the new dawn, I walk back into the bedroom and lay back down next to twilight, our filly between us. Now was not a time to have dark thoughts, and now that I think back to it, her twilight was pleasant, if a little shocking.
 
I chuckled at my own unintentional pun and closed my eyes, casting a spell on myself to induce sleep till the other two awoke.
 

*  *  *

 
Court was so infuriating sometimes. A blue stallion sat in front of me, yelling about how his neighbor had been making his life unlivable with his constantly cheery attitude. I sighed, raising my hoof “can you get to the issue please?” his shocked face made me wince inside and a hoof mentally connects to my forehead as I realize I slipped up again.
 
“He… his antics are disturbing my sleep!” he yelled, “I demand you command him to stop!” I glanced behind him and was relieved to see nopony else. It was nearing the end of my court session, and if there was nopony after him I could wrap it up early and get back to my room to be with my wife and daughter.
 
“I don’t really see what the issue is, he is merely letting his exuberance out and till he physically trespasses or damages your property, I can't tell him to stop any more than I could ask the element of laughter to stop her own antics.” A shudder passes through me at the prospect “might I suggest that you buy some soundproof windows?”
 
He stares at me for a moment and snorts, showing his displeasure and whispering under his breath “maybe they should all go to some little happy camp” I didn’t let any reaction show that I heard. There were unpleasant ponies scattered here and there, they were the ones who mostly came for me to resolve their issues.
 
His statement was obviously not meant to be heard by me, and so I took neither action, nor offence. Until he actually took some kind of action, I could do nothing to try to help past offer my own wisdom, and they, as this one would, often refused to listen.
 
“Is that all then?”
 
“Yes,” he made a mocking bow “princess”
 
“I’m sure you know your way out by now, Bender” I signal the guard to my side, calling a closing to the day court.
 
Bender scowled and trotted out, kicking the door block out of the way behind him and letting the door slam shut. I sent a quick look to the startled guard who was supposed to be in charge of the door. He had been half asleep and I made a mental note to speak to Valiant, Shining Armor’s replacement, about it.
 
“Are you done for the day princess?” the guard to my side asked
 
“Yes,” I stretched my neck to the side, rolling it on my shoulders to relax it “and tell the cook I will be having dinner up in my quarters again with Twilight and Astra” I gently smile and stand up, pulling over the forms I had to work on tonight and stretching my legs after sitting still for an hour. Immortality had its perks… but the boredom came with it was one of its prices.
 
“Of course,” he got a confused look, “but didn’t princess Twilight go down to visit her parents for the evening to show them princess Astra?”
 
A soft groan escaped my lips and I frowned “I forgot, tell him to send up my meal anyway, they should be back late and I’m sure Velvet will stuff Twilight,” my ears twitch in annoyance, “and both Twilight and I have already asked you to just refer to us my our names while no civilians are present.”
 
He chuckled and nodded “see you tomorrow then pri- Celestia”
 
“Goodnight Pebble,” I return with my own grin
 
“Hey!” he blushes “I asked you to call me by my last name, Smasher”
 
“You did, but Pebble is a much nicer name in my opinion” I gather my things and make my way to the door to my quarters, Pebble following me.
 
“Yes, but I am your guard and you should try to keep up a strong image,” he sighs dramatically, “what would the media say if they found out your courtroom guard’s name was Pebble?!”
 
I giggle and use my magic to ruffle his mane “it wouldn’t matter, I would defend your masculinity in the face of the press,” the door to my tower opens to my magic and I grin back at him, getting the last word, “maybe I could fake an attack and have you save my life” I finish and leave before he has a chance to say anything.
 
The image of his frown was a little uncomfortable though, he took his job too seriously, couldn’t princesses have fun to? Oh well, I guess I’d make it up to him tomorrow by calling him Smasher all day as much as I could. I wonder how much he’d like that
 

-  -  -

 
I pressed open the door to our room and sighed when I saw the bed covered in ancient tombs. Even when she was nursing a foal, she was studious, the only difference seeming to be that she was less immaculate, as the books scattering the bed indicated. That being said, in study she would get quite messy, but she never left anything out when she was done, and though it was a chaotic mess to anyone who happened to look in, I was sure there was method to the madness.
 
I set a spell into motion, sending the books and papers temporarily into a void-space, a technique that was only accessible to alicorns, and was the spell that had been enhanced by the elements to banish Nightmare Moon. Of course, the spell I now cast was to a much lesser degree, and would only last about a day before all of the books would be dumped in an unoccupied, space near to me unless I recalled them beforehand.
 
Of course, if I did then they would return as close to the point of disspelment as possible, hopefully avoiding any unwanted anger or annoyance from Twilight by having all of her mess return to where it was, while still letting me rest while I waited for them to return.
 
Having been only a month, and both of us being incredible spellcasters, Twilight and I had managed to make a crib-like field in the middle of the bed to keep her safe from random night movements, but still close to us. She was growing as well, I had seen it hundreds of times before, but when it was my own, it seemed so much faster.
 It was amazing to see her changing every day, her mane coming out and her body gaining some mass, her peach fluff filling out into a pleasant coat adorning her body. She would need her own personal crib soon enough at the rate she was growing, and she would be crawling on her own soon enough.
 
After the initial shock of her self-shielding on her second day of life, she had not shown any other signs of magic, which was reassuring in its relative normalcy. But there was another sign, on that we had all seen on her day of birth, but had been able to ignore up until a few days ago. Her mane was already ethereal.
 
Along with her coat coming out fully, her mane was growing splendidly, already reaching her shoulders, its green color matching her peach coat splendidly. But it was not a regular green mane.
 
Alicorns were well known for their manes, highly magical unicorns were also know to show sporadic acts of ethereality in their manes, the best one to bring to mind being Twilight’s mane of fire. Whatever the race or time, they were wonders to look at, always changing and seeming to possess a life of their own, never made entirely of hair, but mostly of the pure essence of the being in question, giving animation to the dead strands of hair. Each was unique, from my multi-hued cascade of color, to my sister’s near cloak of her own night sky.
 
Each mane came to its owner when they were ready, mine came to me after I accepted and fully embraced the elements of harmony, turning my pink mane into what it is today. My, sister’s mane coming to her well before me, at the time she got her cutie mark at the age of 11. I laughed at it now, but that had been a sore point for the longest time, and I unfortunately believe it may have accredited partially to my ignorance of her building pain. Remembering my pain and the guilt when the object of my slight jealousy was bestowed upon me upon her banishment was difficult, but I had long since come to terms with it, and since Luna’s return and purification, we had returned to our relationship we had as fillies, one of love and companionship.
 
But I digress, Astra’s mane, was already ethereal. It sparkled and refracted light around her, letting the area around her glimmer slightly when she was in light. It was similar to crushed emeralds in appearance. It seemed to not be able to move yet though, being content in its looks at the moment apparently. It was an object of endless fascination to Twilight and I and we loved taking her out onto the balcony and letting her play around in our legs as her mane glittered and refracted the light around her.
 
Luna herself laughed when we had all discussed it, taking her usurping as earliest ethereal mane bearer surprisingly well. It wasn’t even her who had brought up that since it didn’t move, we weren’t sure whether or not to call it one yet; that was Twilight. It was in fact Luna who chose to point out that since it was her own essence giving it color; it should be classified as one anyway. We only had a few to study and for all we knew, static ethereal manes happened regularly, but since there were only a few to be studied, it felt like there weren’t any. Her conclusion was that it should still be classified.
 
It wasn’t an official record, and our younger years were kept a mystery to the public for the most part, so I could find no reason for Luna’s actions in being so insistent that Astra’s mane was in the same class as ours. I wasn’t complaining, but it felt as though Luna was doing it for some reason other than… whatever reason she currently had, and I resolved to ask her about it later.
 
Slowly, as my thoughts slowly began to wind down and the sun was gently removed from my constant grip to give way to the night, I heard a pop and a flash of light lit up the room. My eyes remained closed, but my mouth slowly curled up into a smile as the soft hoofsteps of my lover walked around the room. I nearly revealed my consciousness when a frustrated groan was followed by a childish giggle, undoubtedly Twilight worried about her books and Astra enjoying her mother’s noises.
 
“Celestia?” Twilight’s whisper was nearly to faint for me to hear even in my state of alertness
 
“Yes dear” I softly whisper back.
 
I was then greeted to a playful pounce, Twilight landing on top of me and nuzzling into my neck. “Celly,” she pulled away and narrowed her eyes at me, the effect of her glare slightly lessened by the sight of a set of peach hooves reaching out from her back out to me, or more likely, my mane, “where are my books?”
 
“Ha ha!” I bend my neck up to peck her on the lips, going past after the action to nuzzle the hooves and greet my daughter “peek-a-boo~”
 
Astra let out a squeak and then started to giggle hysterically. Twilight, after getting over the kiss, looked around with the peculiar combination of a raised eyebrow and a glare; She only managed to hold it for a few moments though before she settled out in a grin and gently pulled the giggling filly from her back. “That’s cheating, no using Astra as a defensive weapon”
 
I sat up fully in our bed and pushed her gently down, the fuzzball wrapped up in her arms as I lay down next to her “how were your parents?”
Twilight looked back up at me and cuddled Astra to her chest “they’re fine, they are both still fairly clueless as to how she came about, despite my short lecture on gene spitting and cellular manipulation through magic…” she continued on, but I let it fade into a happy buzz in my ears, letting it lull me closer to sleep “are you listening?”
 
“Of course, you were just about to say about how your mother is still ecstatic about her first grandchild.” What I assume was a sleepy grin adorned my face, it was so nice to just relax and be myself, and it was intoxicating to my old mind.
 
Twilight frowned and poked my shoulder “you’re doing it again, I didn’t say that, I was talking about how I should give them a full lecture with notes next time and I was asking you if I could take some books out from the scientific department,” she sighed and closed her eyes “but yes, I was about to say that about my mother.”
 
Honestly, I didn’t know what to say to that. She was right; I was anticipating her words before she said them. It was an issue we had gone over before, the problem wasn’t in the fact that I was anticipating what she was saying, but with how I tended to not listen to what she was actually saying, so I missed some of her offhand questions “I’m sorry Twilight, I really am trying to stop doing it, but it is hard to be rid of an age old habit, “I stroked the side of her face with my hoof “and sure, you can take some of the books, you’re a princess now to, you have as much clearance as I”
 
She closed her eyes upon my hoof making contact and she nodded after I finished speaking “she’s worried about Shining and Cadence, she can't understand that they don’t want kids right now and she keeps trying to get me to check them for infertility” she let out an exhausted sigh and smiled gently while erecting Astra’s crib, the little filly having fallen asleep a minute or two ago.
 
“Have you explained to them about h-” she didn’t give me a chance to finish as her eyes opened halfway, a smile adorning her lips in a look I had grown accustomed to. She leaned forward and meshed her muzzle with mine and let out a small growl.
 
“yes, I told them about how as the alicorn of love, she can mate with anything and choosing whether or not to get pregnant or not is completely in her power, be her mate male, female, pony, or non-pony,” she drew back and licked my muzzle, shifting over slightly, her scent wafting over.
 
She crawls over to me and presses me back down into the bed “Now Twilight,” I grin at her forwardness, but look just slightly down at Astra, “you know we can't do this here, not now most of all” my magic slams into her, the perfect amount to knock the top off a mountain, but with her shielding only barely lifting her up, a practiced amount. “And we can't leave her alone either, I won't let you do that just for this” I lean up and kiss her gently and then push her back over to her side of the bed, using my magic to remove any trace of her lustful scent from the air.
 
“If you really want to we can do it tomorrow, I can arrange for one of the palace maids to take care of her for the night, but we should rest for tonight and just enjoy Astra’s one month anniversary.” With her pressed down on the bed, I press down with my own hooves, holding her down while I pecked her lips once and she looked up with big, pleading eyes.
 
“Can’t we call for a maid right now? They would be happy to do it for us,” she whimpered and squirmed underneath me, looking no longer at my face but lower “or you could banish both of us to the moon...” she faltered, “I’m sure Luna would notice and come and get us in the morning”
 
She was grasping at straws and I was honestly a little surprised, she could be forward, but our daughter was only a few feet away. Then it hit me and I grinned down at her “so, Ms. Sparkle, how are those hormones doing after being absent for this last month?”
 
She saw that I was playing with her instantly and whimpered, “Please, Celly,” she licked her lips and then looked back up to my eyes, “this is worse than a heat...”
 
I was not that surprised anymore, most mares went through this about a week after giving birth, and I had just assumed Twilight’s was minor and passed us by, but it seemed to be a delayed response, interesting. “Not tonight Twilight, I’m sorry, maybe this will make you feel better” my horn connected with hers as I sent a pulse of magic through her system, simultaneously triggering the release of certain endorphins and removing any excess hormones from her system, returning her mostly to normal.
 
When I pulled my horn away, her face was flushed and I felt a sickly sweet smell permeate the air. My cheeks flushed and I nuzzled the dazed mare beneath me “Goodnight Twilight.”
 
I quickly removed the smell and cleaned the bed sheet without rousing either Astra, or the now gently snoozing Unicorn. With that finished, I quickly got back into the bed on my side and nuzzled Twilight while I wrapped a gentle hoof around Astra, holding her to me for a moment with affection.
 
I gently slipped off to sleep, giving my now roused sister a mental greeting as my mind began to wander her world.
 

*  *  *


“Ugh!” I finish my signature on a document and let the quill fall to the table, unsupported by my magic. “Are there any more to fill out Pebble?” my hoof gently rubbed my temple while I tried to massage the headache from my skull.
 
He coughed gently and I could swear I heard him grumble something about his name, “No, that is all for this issue,” I levitated the papers all over to him and set them in a orderly pile in his hooves, “but I’m sure I could find something else for you to read over if-” the doors to the royal study chambers opened, a stout guard walking in.
 
“Good, you’re finished; I have a message and a request from Princess Twilight, Princess Celestia” I turned and my ears perked up at the sound of my partner’s name, ignoring his tone which seemed not to hold the usual feeling of reverence that most of my little ponies seemed to hold whenever they spoke to me. Instead bordering on sounding as though he was just reciting something he had too to someone he didn’t care too much for.
 
It was refreshing and I smiled while studying his face, the transmogrification helmet making it significantly harder to tell the guards from one another, but his basic facial features and build came through, showing me that he was a new recruit. However, Pebble seemed to also hear the tone, and knowing him, probably took it as an offence to me.
 
Before he could demand the younger stallion to show more respect, I cut in “Go ahead, what is it?” I grinned softly when I saw Pebble’s eyes narrow and his mouth half open, preparing to speak, but cut off.
 
“She would like to request that you come to your quarters early today, and that is because Astra took her first steps today.” He stated, looking a little nonchalant.
 
Pebble seemed to not be able to take it any longer and burst out “What do you call that?!” he bowed his head to me “please excuse this recruit for his insolence princess; he will be put on cleaning duty for a week for this.” He glared at the recruit, getting ready to say more to the stallion who now had his ears down.
 
His chest swelled up and I stroked his belly softly with my wing, my grin spread across my face. It turned into a full-blown laugh when he shuddered and dissolved into a fit of hacking and coughing “Don’t be so mean Pebble, he’s obviously new.” The stallion in question was now rapidly looking between the two of us, his eyes wide. “Now, what’s your name?”
 
His eyes settled on me and he smirked, seeming to be more relaxed as he did “My name is Vinci” he snickered “and I was unaware that captain Smasher’s name was Pebble.”
 
Pebble’s eyes widened and he picked himself up from the floor, giving me a glare that said I would pay for this with cold seats for a month, his revenge was so cute. “Address the Princess with the proper respect,” his glare intensified, “and if you tell a single soul in the guard my first name, I will personally tell your father about this whole incident.”
 
I gently swatted him with my wing and giggled “Actually, it’s refreshing, you may continue,” I rose from my place on the floor and gave them both a large smile, “and who is your father, I’m sure I can put in a good word if Pebble here decides to take action.” After that statement I poked my tongue out at the earth pony and he gasped in horrified shock.
 
Vinci broke in and gave a small bow, not mocking, but what one would give to another in the same station, more a nod of the head “My father is Valiant Code,” his smirk extended to the sides of his face, “and I promise to use this knowledge wisely princess.”
 
I was liking this bold stallion more and more “See that you do” I shift my attention, “Pebble, I will retire early tonight to be with my daughter and Twilight, see to it that we are not disturbed, if anything urgent springs up, bother my sister, she could do well to be waking up a little earlier nowadays.”
 
Pebble looked at me with narrowed eyes as I walked out the door and I could hear him shout as I was walking down the hallway “of course, Celestia.” I laughed out loud when I heard a smack and some whispering, but they would sort themselves out, I couldn’t get involved in every little struggle. And anyway, my daughter was walking!
 
It was expected, her muscles were growing well and we had been able to tell nearly two months ago that she would be walking around this time, but it was still heartwarming… and it gave me a good excuse to get away from the clamor of ruling for a while. It had been especially bad recently, some ponies even going so far as to say I was unfit to rule after I accidentally dropped a load of about thirty books on top of one particularly vocal court attendee.
 
It had been an accident, that night, Twilight’s hormones were going wild and in my quick fixing of her problem, I had forgotten to release the spell holding all of her tombs.
 
The next day I had woken up before her and gone to hold my daily court. The shock of the whole attendance was nearly palpable when a mare that was shouting about how I needed to give her crops more sun was suddenly hailed on by tombs of magic and science. What saved me from a storm of media claiming that I had attacked her was a mixture of quick thinking, by Pebble and myself, and my immediate and public apology for the accident.
 
Of course it would have all been fine had the mare then gone and traveled to Manehattan and giving an interview in which she described the event as a horrendous and completely intentional attack on herself. The resulting storm was what had been taking up most of my time in the recent month, but once my sister agreed to take on over half the load of paperwork during her quiet nights.
 
It had lessened my load considerably and I was very grateful. It gave me time to be with my daughter who was now spending most of her time in the royal observatory with Twilight.
 
Since her move into the castle, Twilight had taken on the position of head magical and scientific researcher to keep her boredom from causing any more damage to the city. The first time she went over that edge possibly permanently mentally scarring some of Canterlot’s inhabitants for life.
 
That is where I made my way to, stepping out of the front doors of the castle and into the cool evening air. I stretched my wings and glanced to either side, looking to see if anyone was close enough to be damaged. Seeing there was no one, I kicked off, using my wings to rise through the air at near supersonic speeds.
 
I let the pegasus magic flow through my body, lightening my muscles and bones while allowing me to breathe the thin air. It took slightly more concentration to magically thin the air in front of me to reduce friction, but once it was done I slipped through the air nearly as fast as the alleged element of loyalty, while not even trying.
 
I halted my ascension just above the afternoon cloud cover, using a phasing spell to not disturb the clouds. My wings thrummed with energy and raw power, seeming to be excited and have a mind of their own as they were allowed to exercise some of their vast power for the first time in a few days.
 
No one but another pegasus could describe the feeling of freedom that came with flight. No matter how bad the situation got in the land I ruled with my sister, it would only take three minutes to reach the edge of Equestria’s border and leave. Less if I wanted.
 
Of course, I could always teleport just as easily, but it didn’t come with the same feeling. Sure, teleporting didn’t take much energy, but it was sometimes the movement that made the travel worth it, even if it was a blur to most. My alicorn eyes would see everything and could even pick out individual ponies down in the capital beneath me.
 
I used to be sickened by the differences. I started up the yearly games to test and find out the most capable of the pegasus and earth ponies, already knowing that my magic far exceeded any other mortal unicorn’s. I was disappointed. While my little ponies cheered on the best and greatest of the land, they were still next to nothing compared to me, the fastest pegasus couldn’t even break mach one, and even at that young age, both Luna and I were breaching mach three. I couldn’t even compare maneuverability and maximum height.
 
The strongest earth pony was harder to test, on of the main values being healing rate, but it was safe to assume that even the strongest, able to break through a two meter wide stone, would be able to regrow a limb as I had found out in an early battle with Discord. And all of those fifteen-meter wide stones had gone to waste when the two as the most he had been able to break.
 
That was the past though, their fragile bodies were slowly responding to stimulus by my magic permeating the land through the ages, enough to where there were stronger and stronger generations being born, starting to even partially rival our own power.
 
A large smile spread across my face, banishing the old and dark thoughts with thoughts of the present, and more accurately, my now mobile daughter.
 
I halted my flapping motions and angled my wings down, letting gravity take hold of me as I increased my weight and started to fall. I tilted my head, as I needed, angling towards the observatory balcony as the wind rushed past my ears and my wings folded behind my body.
 
I fell through the air, faster than most could see and waited until the last possible moment to spread my wings back. I used magic to lessen the shock to my wings and pad my hooves while pulling the whole balcony up and reinforcing the floor.
 
It didn’t make too much of a difference, the floor cracked beneath my hooves and the balcony shudder with strain. A cry came from inside and I quickly fixed everything before anyone could see the damage. “Celly?! Is that you?” Twilight’s worried voice came through the open door.
 
“Yes, I decided to stretch my wings a little” I folded the said appendages and walked inside the room, smiling softly at my lover and grinning at the little fuzzball who was napping on the ground. “She sleeps like a rock, doesn’t she?”
 
“she sure does, but I have been conducting some experemen-” I cut her off with a glance “fine, I have been teaching Astra her name and it seems to be working.” She finished with a sigh.
 
Interestingly enough, the three-month-old filly’s ears perked up at the mention of her name and her head lifted, her mouth opening in a wide o shape while she yawned. “That’s wonderful, and she’s walking?”
 
Astra answered for herself when, after finishing her yawn and blinking sleepily around for a minute, caught sight of me, or my mane, and gurgled excitedly, rolling over and getting up on shaky hooves. She let off a soft gurgle and I had to stop myself from going over to help her.
 
We had been so far unable to get Astra to drop her shielding for us to carry her around, her innate magic already too strong from birth for us to break it without hurting her. And she was not yet intelligent enough for us to ask her to drop it. It made changing her more of a pain than we had expected to have to deal with.
 
It was laudable, as Luna pointed out. One of the Princesses of equestria, arguably the oldest, Revered as a goddess by a majority of the population, and savior of the land. I was all of that, but still stuck changing diapers like the rest of the world. That was until Twilight invented a spell that would function as a sort of ‘invisible diaper’, she got me to power it and it siphoned off all of Astra’s waste into a void space that was also linked with the royal waste unit.
 
When I had first heard the idea the image of the same thing happening as the books flashed through my mind, but I trusted Twilight to not intentionally rain fecal matter down on my court. She knew I hated the duty, but she also knew it was necessary.
 
Astra’s hoof met the ground in front of her and she slowly started to wobble over with the unpracticed walk of a child. She paid attention to every step she took, miraculously focused on her task for one so young.
 
Halfway across the room, on of her back legs gave out and she landed on her rump mid-step. As usual, she just got a saddened look on her face, her front hoof pawing the air in front of her towards me. I walked over to her, unable to resist her call any more than I could my duty as princess.
 
I gently picked her up and let her sit on my back amidst the ethereal fibers of my mane and she nuzzled in close, never ceasing to be captivated by my ever-changing mane. Her mane remained static, though the depth of it seemed to grow daily, the green becoming deeper.
 
Astra never cried. Twilight and I had discussed it before, but neither of us could ever recall her uttering a single wail or cry. It was unsettling.
 
A gurgle and my had being yanked back brought me fully to the moment as she made her way up my back and circled three times before burying herself in the recesses of my mane.
 
“that looks nice,” Twilight giggled while relaxing off to the side, “her spot, not your position” she laughed even harder when I trotted around the room, only having to close my eyes and strut to make myself look like some of the nobles around Canterlot.
 
I changed my voice, easy enough to do if you were as old as I was and I let out a snort “come Twilight, we must leave this filth before any dust gets on our hooves.” The effect of my act was slightly lessened when a squeak came from my mane and a hoof poked out to wave at Twilight as we walked by, followed by Astra promptly being overbalanced by her hoof and toppling off my back.
 
Our response was fast and she barely made it an inch before a book and a stool caught her, flung from around the room to catch her. I lowered the stool and let Twilight let her down to the ground with the book before walking over. I lowered my head and looked down at the two of them, Twilight nuzzling me while Astra rolled on the floor and batted at the tip of my hair in front of us.
 
Twilight reached up on her hooves and kissed me “do you think we can put her to sleep in the side bedroom tonight? We haven’t… in so long…”
 
“Sure Twilight, you deserve it, and we can even set it up like one of your old reports, just in person, and more detailed.” My mouth rises up in a smirk, knowing she had been studying an advanced form of object manipulation and was even starting to build on it, adding even more uses. I was eager to see what it meant for our bed.
 

*  *  *


“So how has life in the city been to you?” I sat with Twilight’s father, Night Light, while his daughter and wife played with the newest addition to the Sparkle family. We sat in my private meeting chamber, a space cleared in the middle and the table that was usually the centerpiece pushed to the side. Night rested in his seat opposite me while both of our chairs were turned towards the middle of the room where the three fillies played.
 
Night’s dark blue elbow rested on the table and held his head upon his raised hoof. He wore a light smile while watching his granddaughter make her way to his wife, only his ears betraying that he heard when the swiveled towards me and twitched. Initially, they had been furious with me, accusing me with assumed plans to seduce their daughter from a young age. It had of course been wrong, it had happened completely naturally and I had never once made any purposeful advances on her or displayed any interest past a teacher to her student.
 
As always, it was Twilight who fixed the problem. It had taken months and many heated arguments, but they had finally, begrudgingly, accepted me as their daughter in law.
 
Astra wobbled between Twilight and Velvet, the two mares cooing and holding their forehooves out to hug her whenever she got to them “Like always,” Night shifted in his seat and chuckled, “just wish you three would come down more. We get to see Twilight and Astra once a week almost, but you’ve been down only once since the birth.”
 
“Oh, aren’t you just the most adorable little thing on the planet!” I watched as Astra’s eyes partially bugged out from the strength of the hug that her grandmother gave her. The light purple limbs squeezing tightly and shaking her slightly in their grip.
 
“Mom, I think that might be a bit much for her…” Twilight’s voice rang over to her and she lessened the hug, switching instead to showering her slightly stunned face with kisses”
 
“I don’t blame you at all, running Equestria must take a lot out of you, especially with the whole attack scandal going on. But both Velvet and I wish that we could see more of you, it’s hard enough having to imagine our own daughter as a princess.”
 
“With Cadence and Shining, it was so much easier, Cadence was Twilight’s foalsitter and we saw her grow up, we saw them fall in love, and we never really thought of her as a princess.” He sighed, rubbing his hooves over his blue temples, “But with you I don’t really know,” he made sure to smile up at me, “thinking of you, Princess Celestia, queen of the sun, and immortal ruler of Equestria, as our daughter in law. Well, it’s hard.”
 
“Dear! Don’t hassle Celly!” both Night and I jumped when Velvet’s voice cut through our relative quiet.
 
“Well, I suppose it’s hard for me… you really won Velvet over with Astra”
 
Having had his say I calmly watched him for a minute “and she didn’t win you over?” he sharply looked up and then over to her
 
“No… yes… you should know what I mean,” I did and smiled at him
 
“I know, you love her, but my status is to engrained in your mind for you to place it in your mind below your own as you probably feel the title of daughter-in-law to be” his wide eyes said I hit it straight on “then would it help for me to call you dad?” A shocked silence pervaded the room; apparently they had been listening in.
 
It was broken promptly by a gurgle as Astra reached Twilight again and pounded her tiny hooves on her leg for attention. Velvet burst into laughter “Only if you call me mom, and you’ll have to call him that in front of his buddies who come over, wouldn’t that drive it in their skulls dear.”
 
“Of course, mom” she laughed some more before giving a heartfelt smile and waving her hoof in the air, prompting us to return to our conversation.
 
“I think you can just stick to calling me Night if that’s alright with you” he blushed; I knew what it was about.
 
“But if I can’t call you dad, then when will you start to see me as your relation?” I offered.
 
“As a second mother, fine, as a grandmother, even better,” I gave him a playful frown, “not that you look old,” he trailed off, looking for more words.
 
He was uncertain and he refused to see me as less than him “Well I know what you mean dad,” he sputtered and I heard giggling, “but I insist if we are going to be family that you stop thinking of me as an age old princess, but as the mother of your grandchild, well, one of the mothers.”
 
He groaned and lowered his head to the table, burying it beneath his hooves “okay, I get it, I’ll just need some time if that’s alright with you.” I was touched that he was asking permission and I had another jab.
 
Putting on my most regal tone, I addressed him “It most certainly is not, you must do so immediately for your princess.”
 
To his credit, he barely moved at all and just chuckled “you know that isn’t helping.”
 
I took down my regal persona and slumped down with him, resting my long neck over on the table and looking over to where Astra was finally getting fed up with Twilight’s unresponsive hooves. She had already started to make her way over to where Velvet sat, apparently looking more inviting even though she was as focused on the conversation as Twilight. “I know, but I’m sure you can handle it, dad.” Commenting off idly at the end “Twilight, you just lost some hug points from Astra.”
 
That brought both Twilight and Velvet’s attention back to the slowly walking baby just as her hind legs gave out. There was no rush to help her, it seemed to be something of a habit, and though it was unusual, both Twilight and I had decided that since she seemed to get straight back up and keep walking, it was just a matter of practice and she should lose the strange walking problem before the end of the month. After all, both the initial medical examination and multiple other ones, magic and science melding to give the best results, had said there was nothing wrong with her back legs, and it was just some slightly less developed muscle, nothing that wouldn’t be fixed by just plain walking around.
 
Yet again, we had to explain something to Twilight’s parents as the first time they had seen it happen, Velvet had rushed to her side, scooping her up and screaming for a doctor. Going one step farther, Night had already disappeared on his way to get one. The small fiasco that followed involved a lot of apologizing, a personal magical examination by me, and one very tired royal doctor.
 
Of course, walking practice requires actual practice, and Astra seemed to have just found away around that. While she fell in her usual way, landing on her rump and an adorable frown adorning her face. This time, instead of getting back up and continuing her walk over to her grandmother’s waiting arms, she scrunched up her face.
 
We waited and Twilight got up, getting ready to go to her if she were going to cry “It’s alright sweetie, mommies here for y-” she never finished her sentence, a soft glow spreading from the tip of Astra’s horn and gently spreading over her body. Her face relaxed the second the aura coated her and she lifted from the floor.
 
Even my own jaw was slack as she floated upwards, letting off a giggle and the aura seeming to sink down into her own body, leaving behind nothing to remind us of it’s existence except the floating filly before us. Astra’s grin was wide and she spread her hooves towards her shocked grandmother, gently flying forward, suspended by nothing but what was obviously her own magic.
 
The impact was slight, but it seemed to nearly bowl Velvet over as Astra landed on her face and hugged it. “T... T… Twilight,” the little filly nuzzled into the soft fur of Velvet’s forehead and gently slid upwards with no visible prompting, landing atop her head and settling down, curling up in a little ball while covering herself in Velvet’s purple and gray mane, “are you doing that?”
 
Twilight’s eyes were wide and I almost didn’t notice a small notebook float up to her, a pen already scribbling down what I assumed were notes. “No mom, unless it’s Celestia doing something, it is her own magic causing her to levitate,” the pen scribbled down something off to the side, decided it didn’t like it, scribbled it out, and continued writing. I would have been more impressed had the situation had been different, she wasn’t even looking!
 
“Rest assured, I am not doing anything, and her shielding is still up,” I had checked just before I opened my mouth and, without a doubt, she was still encased inside of her own energy, now there just seemed to be another layer, “from what I can tell she is not simply levitating herself, but actually casting a flight spell similar to the one you used on Rarity all those years ago.”
 
More notes were scribbled and I saw Velvet flinch when purple magic encased the snuggling filly and her mount. “Yes, according to these readings she is casting a high tear levitation spell,” the paper flipped over and the pen continued writing. I took the moment to stand, walking to the middle of the room and facing Velvet and Astra, “of course, aside from her being only three and a half month’s old, even a high level unicorn shouldn’t be able to cast this kind of spell on themselves,” she trailed off, more fascinated than anything, “there are reports of little unicorn foals levitating themselves, heh, one of them is Pumpkin Cake, but they were all at three to four years of age, not months… and it was always at a stage where they were lifting and moving themselves with telekinesis, never full blown levitation.”
 
I on the other hand was not, when she had lifted off the ground, she had gone vertical for a moment and I had caught a glimpse of a ruin behind her before the vision was broken. Nonetheless, she was too strong, first her shielding; now a spell that even Twilight should have trouble with. I was tempted to be thankful she wasn’t an alicorn, but I couldn’t bring myself to dwell on it. At the rate she was advancing, we just had to raise her well, and dread the teenage years.
 
I held a new respect for Night and Velvet at that moment. Wondering about ticking her off and turned them into potted plants for a more permanent amount of time must have crossed their minds at some point. Now images of banishment were flowing through mine.
 
How did parents deal with this? How was Twilight taking it so calmly? I know that if I were to open my mouth, I would probably be halfway to Luna before I could say anything good or nurturing. I would probably have to talk to Twilight’s parents about that later.
 
“Mom, hold still, I’m going to get her off you” Velvet stood stock still, her eyes wide a few moments more while Twilight approached her, the analysis magic cutting off.
 
Just as Twilight reached her Velvet’s look of shock ended and she raised her hoof to push her daughter back a bit, a gentle smile forming on her face “don’t think we haven’t dealt with this kind of thing before,” she lowered her head and let Astra slide out of her mane, “I know just the thing that’s needed in situations like this.”
 
“When did you have to deal with this bef-” Twilight’s cheeks reddened and she looked behind me to her father whom I assume gave her a nod “okay… so what is needed?”
 
Night walked up from behind my still form and wrapped his hoof around her while nuzzling her “just keep a calm head and take care of her, don’t freak out, don’t yell,” he eyed the notebook that was still being scribbled in, “don’t take notes like it’s just another lab experiment.”
 
Twilight’s blush heightened and she sputtered a moment, seemingly wanting to argue and she looked to me for help. Not a chance, I kept up my age proven poker face and kept looking right at her. “umm, but, it’s so interes-”
 
“Twilight!” Velvet whispered loudly, holding a very sleepy looking Astra in her arms, her big athemyst eyes scrunched up as her mouth opened wide, a contented yawn coming out “She is your daughter! And even if the pregnancy started as an experiment, once your belly started swelling, you no longer had any right to view her as one.”
 
I settled, my heart finally coming down from its high. “They’re right Twilight, Astra will merit some thinking, but she should always come first.” I could learn a few things from Velvet and Night; I should definitely clear some time to go down with Twilight next time she went down.
 
Twilight looked a little distraught as she put her notepad down “but… fine… can I hold her?” she held out her hoof to her mother. Velvet stepped forward and handed the now dozing fluff ball to her.
 
“I love you” I suspected I was the only one who could hear the whisper into the sleeping fillies ear, but from the smiles on Twilight’s parent’s faces, I assumed they could tell what was said without my hearing She raised her voice a bit higher for the other two “And I pinkie promise to never treat you like an experiment ever again if I can help it,” she looked up and around, settling her gaze at me, “and if you could all try to remind me… if I slip up… that would be excellent.”

Once the unsettling feeling of being watched passed, I nodded along with the two other ponies. My magic may have made them stronger, but in at least one case, there seemed to have been unintended consequences, had I not done most of it myself with Luna, the castle would probably have still been paying off the gala repair expenses.

Night then looked out one of the stained glass windows in the room and saw that it was nearing dusk “Well it is getting rather late, so if you don’t mind, I think we’ll be heading off home for the night,” I felt sorry for him when his main response to the statement being a glare from Velvet.

I decided to help him out a little “Mom, it is getting late, if you would like I can have some men escort you home” sometimes I think Velvet would live in the same room as Astra where she given the chance. To be honest, she was probably the one here who most qualified for the position of loving mother… though Twilight had taken a step in the right direction tonight. I did not know where I stood. I loved her with all of my heart, but showing anything had become hard over the years, and with company, it was even harder, even my lover’s parents.

Now the glare was at me and I looked into her eyes, the orbs of Velvet Sparkle, somehow, more frightening than cake being taken off the menu. “Dear, she was only being nice, say your goodbyes to everypony and then we should really go, didn’t you want to show me some new toys tonight?”

Twilight, Velvet, and I blushed at that, breaking my trance and allowing me freedom. “Dad! Mom! Please, there’s a filly in the room!” Twilight whispered, either ignoring the fact that she was only three and a half month’s old, or grossly overestimating her language capabilities. I narrowed my eyes; at least I hope she was.

“What are you talking about Twilight?” he grinned ear to ear, “I was just talking about Astra’s toys we’ll be bringing for her first birthday” he was rewarded for his antics by one physical, and one magical hoof upside his head and he fell to the floor, clutching his beaten head “it was a joke…” he let out a dying gasp and stopped breathing.

If not for the situation I would be concerned, Twilight was in control, and my carefree acceptance of his ‘death’ was justified when Velvet just kicked him in the gut as she walked over to her daughter and slumbering granddaughter “have a good week and I love all three of you so very much, I can't wait till you come down next Sunday, Twilight,” she kissed Astra on the tip of her horn and nuzzled her cheek with her own, “and Celestia, dear, you forget I am a Sparkle, and while I do not have the raw talent of magic my daughter does, I still remain one of the most accomplished teleporters in this age.” Her horn glowed and in a flash both she and Night were gone before I could tell them I would be showing up next Sunday with Twilight.

The bright flash caused the bundle of peach and green fur to squirm in Twilight’s hold, but remained asleep. My lover gently walked over to me and nuzzled my chest “sorry about that… my dad loves to tease.”

I grinned back down at her and rested my wing over her, beginning our walk with my feathers curled up. “So how much do I have to do in front of the media to make up the lost ground?” I loved to hear her squeak and she walked well ahead when my feather tips started to prod her to go faster. Of course, it was better than slowing down, and then I would have had to resort to drastic measures. I didn’t want Astra to go two night’s in a row in the secondary extension that was now her room, not three nights in a row.


*  *  *


“Are you sure you need my help for this Celly?” Luna whispered into my ear from her throne next to mine. It was the first joint-court we had attempted since the first ones utter failure a few years ago. It was a repressed memory for all involved.

“This is how we need to rule, we cannot have you ruling from the shadows any longer,” I whispered back, cameras flashing as a small group of ponies walked up to the throne from the front entrance, twelve if I didn’t miss anything, “you are half this countries ruler and our subjects must feel comfortable with you before any of them will rely on you. Do you truly wish to rule as you have since your return for the rest of our existence?”

“But what if that anti-Luna cult gets in again, it would mean disaster!” apparently not so repressed

“Then we will deal with it as we did last time, it was not a disaster then, even if the same thing happened this time, we would only have to wait another year.” Yea, no. if it happened again then the cult would feel the full force of the equestrian guard and Twilight and I were already making plans for pro-Luna posters and schemes.

It looked like she was going to respond, but the group had stopped, halting some distance away, nearly double the distance as when it was just me. I put on a heartwarming smile, knowing not to push them further than they were willing to go, instead, I looked for a familiar face and smiled even more warmly as I saw a ponyville face, they were known for their kindhearted nature “would any of you like to bring your cases forward?” I paid special attention to the mare with my eyes and tried to ask fro there while giving nothing away.

They all murmured amongst themselves and the Ponyville mare seemed to be willing, she walked forward a step and spoke “may I be first your majesties?” she was nervous and that showed me that she came with a good request, nothing farfetched, or impossible like so many of the others who came here.

I nudged for my sister to reply “Oh, oh, yes, come forth and state thin- your issue.” She gave her best smile to the mare she could give. I nudged her again, she had saved herself from slipping back into our archaic way of speaking, but she forgot something in place and I already heard the clicking of cameras.

“It’s Golde-” she paused mid sentence and I could see the sweat drip down her face. The poor mare had prepared for this and it wasn’t going as planned. She walked forward anyway and I commended her for her effort, the clopping of hooves on the marble floor resounding nicely in the chamber.

She reached the spot specified before us and opened her mouth to speak, Luna beat her to it “First, could you tell me your name though, you have nothing to fear” her smile was genuine and warm.

What was she doing?! That wasn’t part of the procession. But surprisingly it seemed to have a calming effect on the mare. Her shaking knees stopped shaking and she seemed to relax her whole body. “it’s Golden Harvest, and my issue is the disrepair of a bridge to the north of my cousins carrot fields, he doesn’t have the bits to pay for the repair himself, but he won't be able to get his product across the river if it isn’t fixed soon.” I motioned for an agricultural map of ponyville and a guard who looked vaguely familiar brought it from another room. I already knew most of it, but it was good to touch up on things and it was mostly for Luna’s sake.

“Is this the bridge in question?” I projected the map onto the floor in front of her and highlighted the bridge I knew to be there.

She studied the map for a moment and then nodded “yes, that’s the one. If he doesn’t get it repaired the whole region might be unable to get carrots for a while,” she looked both of us in the eyes “please, I know you probably deal with much more important things, but this is important to us.”

I went over it in my head, losing the bridge was not guaranteed for the next few years, and if it held out long enough he could possibly find another way around, but that would in turn rise up prices, which would lead to unhappy ponies. But on the other hand, if we did fix it, it would be a nominal withdrawal from our vast funds held directly for projects like this and it would keep the region’s carrot industry thriving.

“I can't see a problem with this, approv-”

“I disagree with this” Harvest visibly sagged when Luna spoke her mind and I turned to look at her, all of the cameras flashing at once. She sat there, looking down at the mad intently while ignoring the cameras flashing around her.

“Sister, this is about a good as a request as you’re going to get,” I nudged her with my wing and tried to get her attention, “I suggest you take it before you appear greedy and heartless.” She was gone for a while, but she had been back for long enough to know the media would do their best to tear her apart after this.

“I am not trying to do anything of the sort, I just don’t see why we should spend a chunk of buts repairing this old wooden bridge when we could build a more permanent stone one, only a little more in cost, about half a mile north and probably encourage new fields up there, maybe spend some bits to get the back area cleared of trees.” She highlighted her own area up closer to the edge of whitetail woods. There was a pause in the clicking of cameras and the golden pony standing before us looked intently at the map before her, along with everypony else in the room. Empty and devoid of anything much, there were no roads up in the general vicinity and it seemed deserted.

That was something that even I hadn’t thought of, I was proud of my sister, but there were many forms to be filled and questions to be asked for such a project “Miss.  Golden Harvest, do you know of any reason for fields not to be built there?” she stood there, looking at Luna and didn’t seem to hear me.

“That, that is better than anything we could have hoped for,” she looked a little faint, “we could invite some of our other relatives up there and we would be able to start some friendly competition; it would be great for business!” her exclamation was so happy I felt warm inside, but I really had to have my questions answered

“Please, Miss Golden Harvest, can you tell me if there is anything in the woods to the north of your cousin’s land that would explain why there are not fields there already?” I raised my voice and made sure she caught my question.

“Oh, umm,” it was comical how she raised a hoof to her chin while she thought, “I don’t think so; the only problem has been that there would be no way to get your goods to town efficiently, so I thin-.”

“Get on with it!” a rude stallion demanded from the background, earning a glare from both my sister and I while Golden fell promptly silent.

“I’m sorry for the interruption Golden Harvest, my sister and I will discuss it with the guards later today and if you think the bridge with either hold, or not be needed for a month or two then that is when we will be fully set up and ready to begin construction.” Luna’s gaze never left the now cowed stallion in the back while she spoke.

“Yes… yes, that’s fine, I’m sure everyone will be overjoyed.” She timidly bowed and retreated, the stallion’s words seeming to make her self aware again. She froze a few feet away from the spot though and turned, bowing again “And thank you Princess Luna, Princess Celestia.”

She then walked out of the throne chamber, leaving behind the twelve remaining ponies, the guards, Luna, and myself. “Come forth, Stallion who so rudely interrupted my court.” The crowd, having come closer while I was looking at the map, probably to get a better look themselves, parted and a stallion stood there, not the biggest stallion out there, but his gray fur showed some considerable strength despite the horn on his head.

Despite how he was now holding his head high as he walked forward, the effect was ruined by his brown tail lowered slightly, curling between his legs. Luna raised her eyebrow and nudged me “why is he scared of us, I am only annoyed.”

“I do not think he is scared of us, but you. He has come to court before, and I am have made a habit of never showing much negative emotion,” I grinned, “your annoyance, along with your history might have some stubborn ponies quaking in their boots.” This would be a good test to see how she could do in a quarter-full court.

He reached a distance to where we could no longer whisper without him noticing and this time I spoke “what is your name and what is your issue?” he seemed to gain confidence when I spoke. Was I really becoming such a comfy princess to them? Maybe that was the matter, and it would be horrifying if all the brave ponies started to go to Luna while I was stuck with all the pushy ones, but the reverse wouldn’t be good either.

His chest swelled and I inwardly sighed “My name is-”

“WHERE IS SHE?!”

His name was drowned out by a very worried and angry yell by a unicorn I knew well. Everyone in the room looked up in the direction the yell came from and when what she said processed fully in my head, my blood ran cold.

Luna spoke first “is that Twilight?” I simply nodded and got up from my seat.

“I’m sorry everyone, I have to leave court early, Luna should be able to take care of your problems by herself.” I glanced at her, half raised from her own seat and when her worried eyes met mine I simply motioned my head to her seat and to the remaining ponies.

She nodded in return and I swiftly made my way to the entrance to my tower, I briefly heard an outraged shout and possibly the audacity of somepony trying to pull on my tail with magic. Before anypony could respond, save Pebble who let off a roar, I sent a flood of my own magic down the super thin cord of magic connecting the offender to my tail and it was probably bizarre to all inside when he suddenly passed out and all of his hair burned off in an instant.

But I wasn’t there anymore and so did not have the pleasure of seeing their reactions. If Luna pulled through, it could mean the tipping point of her popularity as co-ruler. But first things first, I had to find out what was happening upstairs.

I burst through several rooms on the way to the observatory, having located Twilight and rushing upstairs to our bedroom. Rushing up the final flight I saw a small congregation of the castle’s staff in front of my door, “what is going on?”

One of the chambermaids tentatively spoke up “we don’t know, Gray Scale tried to get in a few minutes ago, she shouted… and that’s him now,” she raised a shaking hoof over to a stallion sitting against the far wall, smoking and giggling manically.

“She’s gone, she’s gone, she’s gone” he mumbled over and over.

She shook her head and looked back at me “None of us have tried to get in since, but we have called for the guard, you got here before them.”

Gray Scale was a sorry sight and I didn’t want that to happen to anypony else, I hoped it wasn’t permanent for his sake “Stand away from the door, I’m going to go in.” I made true to my word and didn’t wait long for them to move before slamming the door open, expecting anything.

What I got was a maelstrom of our personal items, our desk, our bed, our closet, and all of the smaller items. All of them were flying around and nothing was on the floor, as I watched in a sort of fascinated horror, a bright flash half-blinded me and the large, inverted, grinning face of a manic Twilight Sparkle appeared before me.

“You have her, right?” she circled me, walking on the roof and gazing down at me, scrutinizing my body and the ground around me “you’re just hiding her!”

She continued to circle and grin, I noticed the door had closed behind me without my noticing, somehow my whole being moving more into the room without my knowledge. I had seen her in this state before, a few times actually, and it wasn’t pretty. I had to calm her down before the whole tower ended up like our room, and find Astra in the process.

“Twilight, what’s wrong, you seem to be… upset,” I gave her the warmest smile I could give, “and no, I’m not hiding anyone.” Her eye twitched and her smile shrunk to a flat line before springing back up again.

“I know you normally wouldn’t lie to me Celestia, but this must be a joke then, surely. She was sitting right next to me and then she disappeared, I don’t know anyone able to teleport somepony not in their line of sight directly to them, but I wouldn’t put it past you, you are an immortal sun goddess after all.” She let off a soft giggle and I noticed that she hadn’t blinked since I first saw her.

“No such spell exists Twilight,” I leaned forward and wrapped my neck around her stiff one, “and if what you say is true I’m going to need you to be calm so I can help look for her.” Of course I was tempted to send out my scanning spell anyway, but it could only sense emotions at that range, and I needed another vastly powerful spellcaster in order to specifically target one pony. That other unicorn would have to be Twilight and she had to be calm to do it. If she got a hold of my whole supply of magic in the state she was in right now, then I had no doubt the entire country would be scoured and blasted by sun-shafts in search of our daughter.

“But… but,” her smile faltered again, “where did she go?!”

“I don’t know, and the sooner you calm down, the sooner we can get to finding her” I spoke in calming tones, stroking her mane as her smile faltered one last time and shrunk down to a worried frown.

All of our bedroom items clattered to the floor at once and I winced at the sound of breaking wood. Twilight let out a large breath and looked around at the mess “she was right here!  Then she was gone.”

“What were you two doing right beforehand?”

She looked around the room and a book floated over, Starswirl’s guide to mythical creatures, “I was reading this out loud to her in her crib,” she caught my incredulous look and took it the wrong way, “just the nice creatures, I promise.” I took the book from her and looked through it, the vocabulary far exceeding the average pony’s, let alone a six month old fillies.

But that was aside from the point “Twilight, are you calm enough to direct my magic?” I looked intently at her “I will be in charge of controlling the amount I let out, but the more there is, the more… effects there are in the area. You will be in charge of focusing my magic and telling it what to search for.”

She looked around the room at the mess she had made and then back to me, nodding “yes, I can do it, now hurry.” She lowered her horn to my chest, the normal way we would join magic’s.

“No twilight, this is something I have to send through you, it may hurt if you try to contain it, so don’t. Let it flow through and out of you and then, after that, send your own magic through to shape and repurpose it.” I pushed her away and raised her chin with my hoof, lowering my own head till the barest tip of my horn brushed the skin of her chest.

I had told her before that it had to be done the other way for her own safety, that way she could use her own magic and I could use it to form new and even more complex spells than she had ever been able to pull off on her own. If we were to ever try the other way, it would be like a skilled lasso pony trying to lasso a small planet. No matter how good they were, they just didn’t have the right kind of experience or power.

But I was going to try with Twilight now. Hopefully with the spell being so basic and her not actually not having to control it, only direct it, it wouldn’t prove to be too much for the lavender unicorn.

With that as my last thought, I sent my spell and power through her. Her fur immediately stood on end and her mane burst into flames, her eyes shone like spotlights and her body spasmed once before her horn glowed an almost white shade of purple and the magic released.

It was a mistake; my mind was flooded by every contour of the castle and the thought on everypony’s mind. My power flooding forth, but Twilight’s own mind being dazed by the raw power in her diminutive and ill-suited form, I tried to help, but in doing what I did, I gave all the control over to Twilight to do with my power as she would. I could not even withdraw it; doing so could permanently damage her mind.

I felt a tear drip down my muzzle when I realized that I could well have already damaged her. I sent a pulse through our connection, a field of magic that held nearly no power, just a small charge to try to shake her from whatever magic high she was in.

It seemed to have some effect as the now panicked minds of the ponies slipped from my mind. They had obviously noticed it, the only one probably able to block their mind being Luna herself, and they were panicking. I couldn’t know what was happening as it had all been a jumbled mess, even if Astra had been in there I wouldn’t have been able to tell, but I could tell that whatever was happening to everypony else wasn’t good.

More and more of the magic slowly slipped from my mind, eventually, after a minute leaving my own mind blank of any information my spell would feed me. I looked up and gasped; now Twilight’s whole body was glowing white and the tip of her fur coat was burning.

The door burst open, Luna striding through, looking red in the face and she joined her horn with Twilight’s. I had never been gladder to see her, nor more glad to see my own magic stolen from my control and will. The white glow slowly seeped from Twilight’s body and she returned to normal, singed, but normal. Luna kicked her now unconscious body gently away, and turned her furious eyes to me while simultaneously pulling more magic from me and channeling it with it’s intended purpose, overlapping the power on itself to cancel its own adverse effects while giving it a template to search for; a filly with a peach coat and emerald hair.

“What were you thinking?!” Luna’s deafening voice boomed through my mind, her own magic swimming against the current to deliver the message to me “You know what this can do to a non-alicorn, why on equestria would you even think of doing it with your own mate, don’t you remember what happened to Charge!?”  I shuddered when I remembered when Luna had tried the very same thing with her first love back all those thousand’s of years ago. His frozen husk still haunted my mind and I suspected it was what caused the start of her downfall, if not even close to the full reason.

“Yes, I remember, but Twilight is so strong, and it was such a simple spell… and Astra is missing!” I shot back, just sending my thoughts down the line on a similar pulse to the one I had sent to Twilight to rouse her.

“I am well aware of the fact, as you can see from my search,” looking back I looked at the search specs and saw nothing matching Astra’s description in the castle’s area. Horrendous images of a mangled foal flashed through my mind, memories from the past tailored to the occasion. I was brought from the images by my sister when continued “but that does not excuse you from the fact you endangered the life of your mate, possibly the rest of the city, when you let her try to control your magic.”

She spread her search out father, knowing from my mind what I was thinking “You could have easily come and asked for my help; court was already thrown off kilter from the original interruption, would it really have taken so long to ask for it to close early and call for my assistance in locating my niece?” it spread out, gently combing through the city, getting halfway through in no time when I didn’t need to concentrate on the spell, only the power.

“As it is you gave the whole castle severe sunburn and caused all of the food to spoil,” she tried to smile, but only managed to remove her frown, “One good thing did come from this though… by putting yourself in such a bad light I think you’ve guaranteed that I will be viewed fondly in the folowi-” A bright flash of light interrupted her and the form of Velvet Sparkle was draped over Luna’s standing form.

She looked dazed for a moment, then horrified as she realized where she was “Oh, I’m so sorry Princess Luna, I didn’t mean to,” them in a whisper to herself “thank Celestia we didn’t splice…” neither of us was paying attention though, my spell having set off and told us that our target was exactly where Twilight’s mother… and my own step-mother was standing.

Luna pulled away from me before returning my magic, leaving me with an empty feeling and her probably feeling like the queen of the world “I believe we already know why you are here, but would you mind telling us” Luna stood tall and proud as she spoke, her silver armor glinting gold for a moment while I was drooped to the ground.

It was Velvet this time who was distracted as she had seen the smoking, unconscious form of Twilight a few meters away, lying on our overturned mattress “Twilight!” she started to panic and I didn’t want her to start freaking out like her daughter had earlier.

“She’s fine Velvet just drained of magic and a little singed, we tied to locate Astra and my sister’s magic was too much for her.” Velvet mostly ignored her and checked Twilight’s pulse and then switched to a magical scan. I was surprised at that, I knew her parents were talented, but I had been under the impression that her mother specialized in spatial travel, medical scanning was a whole different field of magic, and the spell she was using was nearing the master level, giving data on internal systems along with a general readout.

“Fine, fine… that’s fine, fine, a little damaged…” she was going off a checklist, definitely Twilight’s mother. “She’s mostly fine, you’re both off the hook, just never do what you just did again, If you hurt my daughter.” She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath, “anyway, I came because this little one showed up on the couch a little while ago passed out,” she reached behind and pulled Astra off her back. “Now can somepony please explain to me why my granddaughter was teleported into my living room?”

Luna chuckled nervously and looked down to me “I can't say for sure, I think Celestia knows better than I do.”

I suppose I did and so I got up on my feet, a quick glance beck showing that the base of my hair had lost its rainbow hue and was back to being pink “I believe that she teleported.” I waited for the questions they were sure to have.

None came and Luna solemnly nodded, Velvet seemed more shocked, but shook her head and started grinning “Are you sure?! If she did then she surpassed Twilight by over a decade, and Twilight was the youngest teleporter in equestrian history! Twilight will be so proud.”

Luna merely nodded in my direction and turned to walk out the door, we needed to have another talk, but it would have to wait until later. “I apologize, but the castle is in a little chaos at the moment, I must leave you to discuss his amongst yourselves.” And she was gone before anypony could say anything else.

Velvet looked at me with a big grin plastered on her face “I guess it’s becoming tradition for us Sparkles to break this record. But, I think this one will be hard to beat. She’s barely 6 months old, her child would have to do it nearly as they were born.” She laughed to herself and looked around.

“I guess this was Twilight?” her horn started to glow and the space where our bed once was slowly cleared. I activated my own magic, I was the most drained I had been in over five hundred years, but I was still more than a match for anypony willing to test me, but all I wanted here was to help, she looked like she was straining herself.

No sooner than I moved the closet she had been struggling to move I was reprimanded “oh, no you don’t, I can tell you’re tired, all I've done today is teleport once and done a scan. I’m not going to let you do more harm to yourself by using more magic than you should.”

I would have laughed normally, but I was feeling drained, “just one quick thing? Then I’ll go to bed mom, I promise.” He he, I never thought I’d get to say that. When she nodded at me with suspicious eyes I set of a spell that would, hopefully, return everything to where it was supposed to go.

My horn flashed once and then went back to normal and Velvet looked questioningly at me “what was that?”

“Just wait,” all of the objects scattered throughout the room glowed yellow at once, flying and flipping through the air, some of the items repairing themselves as they flew. They all left a generous bubble of free space around every pony in the room, and soon enough there was nothing left out of place, it was back to normal and I gave velvet an innocent smile, “there, just one spell.”

Her glare was quick, but the groan and gentle smile that followed was quicker still “I really should be more used to this kind of thing by now,” I remembered our talk three months prior and her whole take on this whole ‘super-powerful children’. It was rather simplistic and nice, merely, take what they can do as well above your own power and just be loving and nurturing. Of course, she had assumed at that time that Astra was only a step above Twilight, and that I would be able to handle her myself with ease. I was not so sure.

“Then again, you’ve been moving the sun for eons, rearranging a room while tired probably doesn’t even make a dent,” she didn’t know how right she was, “unlike this old mare who was having a hard time moving a bookcase. I always was astounded by how much Twilight could do, it’s so much more than the rest of us.” Her tone drifted off wistfully at the end there and I shook my head behind her while she turned to lift Twilight up onto our bed, she didn’t know what this kind of power meant either.

“Here,” I moved in to take the limp and slightly smoking lavender form of Twilight Sparkle from her own mother, gently pushing her up onto the bed and using my magic to tuck her under the covers while setting off another spell to stimulate hair growth and shear the tips of every single hair on her body. A fine dust rose from under the covers and made their way over to a stand with heaped ash piled up inside the bowl on top.

Philomena was out for the day, but I’m sure she wouldn’t mind the extra bedding. Then I cast the armor removal spell and all of the shining gold and white armor liquidized on my body and slid down into a small sphere before entering my void space. The liquid metal was found only a few years ago and it had proved invaluable, though incredibly expensive. It was extremely conductive to defensive spells, and took enchantments better than any other material in known existence. Both Luna and I had enchanted our own spheres to form our armor we now wore on a daily basis.

Velvet though, she had never seen the process and had probably thought it was all solid, but she stayed silent and just watched as I walked forward to take my sleeping child from her back.

“I think she will sleep with us tonight, and I think I will have to put up an anti-teleportation field in the room, so I think you should say your goodbyes and get back to your husband before then,” I yawned, and slid up into bed opposite Twilight after placing Astra in her crib “I’ll try to stay up longer, but I think I shall soon be as these two are.”

Velvet didn’t even respond and just teleported out, kindly putting out the light’s as she went. I let my horn light the room once more as I carved a seal into the bedpost behind me. It was sloppy, but it only had to hold up one night until I could order a more permanent one to be made. I then filled it with magic to cancel teleportation attempts to and from the room for as long as the seal held. Once that was done, I let my mind wander the inner cosmos of my mind, recharging my magic through harvesting mana directly from the source itself and ponder on my own daughter’s growing power.


*  *  *


Three young mares were chatting nicely off to the side, discussing their latest exploits and their own divisions of their group. The three cutie mark crusaders had grown up nicely from the time they had all begged me for wisdom about their cutie marks. They were now fine looking young mares, Sweetie Bell obviously taking a leaf from her sister’s book by dressing nicely.

She, along with Scootaloo had been specifically requested by Twilight for Astra’s first birthday party as entertainment, Sweetie for singing, Scoots for tricks. And so far Scootaloo had done a nice job, not yet able to do a sonic rainboom at will like the fabled Rainbow Dash, but not slow anymore either. Sweetie Belle had been arranged for the later entertainment.

The third, Apple Bloom, had been hired to help set up the stage that all of these performers would be acting on. They were happy, and enjoying the party, I was pleased and my smile grew into a toothy grin when I saw none other than Night Light standing up on stage, clumsily making his way across as he made balloon animals for all of the small fillies and colts while dressed up as a clown.

I didn’t have the heart to tell him that the suit clashed horribly with his natural coat color, but from the looks of Rarity’s rounds, she would meet up with him soon and he would know then. She herself looked glamorous as always, still single and mingling with everyone she could get a free moment from.

But I don’t think it was the kind of party she was expecting. I hadn’t even wanted a party, and would have been perfectly content with just having some cake and some streamers up in Astra’s room. I’m sure Astra herself would have been fine with that to as she was at the moment just floating in the middle of my hair, unnoticed by everyone.

This party had been in actuality Twilight’s ploy to get all of her friends together in one place and show our daughter off, but I believe that was planned for the after party, when they, and their immediate family would be the only ones left and would all gather in my meeting chamber before going to their complementary rooms for the night.

Thankfully, all of the Elements had been able to make it, though it was a close one for Applejack, and she had booked the first train in the morning home, spring was a busy place on a farm after all.

The orange farm mare was busy looking over the food cart guarding it from unjust harm, an unfortunate habit from three galas ago. Seeing her tense form, and judging Laughter to be a significant distance away, I made my way over, expertly ignoring all of the calls from nobles to come join them.

“Good evening Applejack,” she jumped and pulled a karate pose in front of me, not missing a beat I pulled her forelegs down and bowed my head to her, “don’t worry, she’s over there being distracted by Night.”

Pinkie Pie was indeed currently captivated by the terribly dress- was that glitter? It seemed Rarity had gotten to him, blending his coat color into the suit and changing the dot color while adding… sequins to it? Anyway, Pinkie Pie seemed to be the only one who Night was entertaining. Despite his best efforts, all the fillies and colts were slowly leaving one by one, till his crowd consisted of a few uninterested ponies, and a raptly attent pink ball of unearthly energy.

“Evenin’ Princess, that may be so, but she’ll have ta get throu’ this mare to get at these treats.”

“I think she learned her lesson last time, you don’t need to make her go through it again,” I grinned and thought of what was waiting in the kitchens, “and don’t worry, Twilight made sure to have the kitchens have two extra cakes made as a distraction for right before the real event.” She couldn’t eat three whole, Canterlot party sized cakes, could she?

“That’s good bout the cakes, but Ah’m not leavin’ these snacks alone for a single second tonight,” she stomped her hoof, “Not till everypony’s had their fill.”

“What if the birthday girl asks you to relax?” I set the flow of my hair outward and Astra popped out of the center, drifting through the air for a moment before opening her eyes, seeing where she was, then teleporting straight back inside.

Applejack just sighed and rolled her shoulders and muttered something about mothers and daughters “Fine, Ah’ll relax, but if these here treats get harmed” she put up a mock imitation of Fluttershy’s stare at me for a moment, then subsequently burst into laughter afterwards at the face I had made.

I flicked my tail and laughed along with her before Pebble could come in and defend his princess from the mare who had looked funny at her. I knew he was watching, I had asked him not to when he did it openly, and so now he was trying to be as stealthy and inconspicuous as his heavy earthpony body would allow.

Coming down from her laugh, AJ took a conversational tone “Well, how are ya‘ll in the castle then? I know she’s only coming back to Canterlot, and she’s been in the castle plenty, but how’s she really doin’?”

That was one question I was fine with answering “she’s doing fine. After the initial shock and boredom was dealt with, she got right to exploring her own magical theory in the observatory most everyday. That’s where she discovered how we could have a child by analyzing Cadence’s DNA.” I leaned my head around and nuzzled Astra, her mane flowing nicely in my own.

“Yea… that there always confused me, I would ask more if I thought I would need it, but that’s more for Big Mac…” she chuckled and blushed. “Anyhow, Astra’s lookin’ mighty fine, with her hair all sparkly and all, I suggest you don’t let Rarity get sight of her anytime soon.”

“Hmm, I suppose” I glanced around, pinpointing all of the Elements and a few others. The mare in question was talking to Fancypants over near the Fountain, Twilight was near to them, talking with Golden Harvest; I had to remember to speak to her later about how the new fields were doing.

Fluttershy was sat atop one of the large oaks, resting in the coils of her friend, Discord. He lived with her now and I wondered how far it had really gotten. I would never be able to look Fluttershy in the eye and ask her, she was too shy, and I could never read anything on Discord’s mind, so I had let it be these last few years.

Rainbow dash was trotting about in her sunglasses; a traditional item for the leader of the Wonderbolt’s to wear. Her mane and tail were as vibrant as always and if nothing else, looked more windswept. As I watched, she looked over to the trio of young mares who were in charge of the entertainment and started talking to an ecstatic Scootaloo. Some things never changed.

Pinkie Pie, Pinkie Pie was nowhere to be seen. That worried me, but AJ didn’t seem to mind, and not pink hair was anywhere near the refreshment table. If nothing else, I was here, and I hoped that anything she might try I could stop before anything really bad happened.

Luna was strolling through the crowd, her voice pleasant, and her posture elegant. Ever since the incident half a year ago, she had been gaining popularity like wildfire. Nothing promotes oneself like your close acquaintances looking worse. And look bad I did, it was no longer accidentally dumping some books on a mare, what a happy memory, but now giving every guard, guest, and servant severe sunburn over their whole bodies. I was still trying to find new servants to hire so I could replace all those who had quit.

Everypony else who was here was either because Twilight insisted, or because they had somehow weaseled an invitation from somewhere, believing this to be ‘the place to be’. It was my daughter’s first birthday for Luna’s sake!

Astra herself had grown considerably and was now nearing the size where she was nearly too big for Twilight to comfortably hold in her foreleg. She had said her first word well before she should have; she had said ‘pretty’ while floating towards my hair. That was another thing, she needed practice walking! Her hind legs seemed to not be growing along with the rest of her. They had just stopped growing with her, the bones grew, but the muscles along them stayed relatively thin, slowly growing, but at a slower rate than her, say, forelegs, which looked fine.

We had checked and checked, but the readings all came back healthy, not an issue to be seen. Instead of practicing like she should be, like most foals would be forced to if they wanted to get anywhere, she just floated… floated and teleported. For that matter, her magic had, if not in skill, grown in power. She was only able to do three things, but by utilizing a special spell, I had looked at her reserves, and they were nearing Twilight’s own.

When she had first teleported, she had been knocked out nearly immediately by the drained energy pool, now, as she had just displayed before, she was quite adept at teleporting just short distances with not a thought. She had also mastered the art of levitation, she could get wherever she wanted if she didn’t just skip the travel, and was even capable of it during sleep.

Needless to say, her crib was quite modified at this point and her room was nearing its finishing stages of construction. Soon, she would have her own room to sleep in if she wanted, equip with thick windows, an anti-teleportation enchantment, and the other amenities that most babies would have in their rooms with responsible parents.

“HELLO!” the furry pink face popped up in front of me and I congratulated myself on doing no more than blinking, I don’t think the rest of the elements would like to have their friend smeared on the ground.

Applejack on the other hand seemed to have no qualms with it and swiftly leapt forward, trying to pin the pink mare beneath her “Don’t you dare touch those threats!” she landed atop her and stared straight into Pinkie’s eyes.

“You mean these?” Pinkies voice didn’t come from her mouth, but over by the dessert tray where she stood, pointing to an apple fritter.

Applejack’s eye twitched and we both looked back down to the now empty space beneath her. “What in tarnation…” she exhaled slowly and sank to the ground “I give up. Pinkie, don’t eat more than your share, please.” She didn’t even wait for a reply, just picked herself up, slowly nodded a goodbye to me and then walked off in the direction of her sister and Rainbow Dash, leaving me and the pink menace alone. Well, the birthday girl was here too.

I slowly turned to face her and spoke in the most nonthreatening manner I could pull off “Hello Pinkie Pie, how has your night been, and is the party up to your standards?” I gazed into her bottomless eyes and we looked at each other while a strand of apple sauce dripped down from her lip and to the table beneath.

“Hewwo Pwincess!” I shuddered at her response. Since the age of six hundred seventy two, I had found myself able to look into another pony’s eyes and get a feel for what they were thinking at the moment. With the element of laughter however, it was a different story. In her eyes was nothing, but everything at the same time, eyes containing nothing but one emotion, joy.

It was unnatural, and while I wanted my little ponies to feel happy and content, this mare… this mare was different. She swallowed the lump of food in her mouth and looked back down to the table, half of the treats applejack had been protecting gone already. “The party is fine, though I think it lacks a lot,” she let out a dramatic sigh and bounced over, jumping in my face, “you have to let me plan the next one; this doesn’t even feel like a birthday party! It’s lacking in over thirty seven areas to be qualified as one!”

She squinted her eyes and looked back to the refreshment table, eyeing it up “do you think I’ve had my share, or is my share bigger?” that was when I noticed she was still in the air, but thankfully Astra and gotten me used to it and from Twilight‘s stories and my previous encounters, I really should have been expecting it.

“I think that you’ve had enough, and we still haven’t had cake come out, so  just hold off till then” maybe the two extra cakes weren’t such an unfounded idea after all, I hadn’t even see her stomach swell from the recently departed pastries and sweets.

I heard her gasp and then she was gone. I heard her scream back to me while she ran to the castle, sniffing the air with her raised muzzle “Thirty six areas!” I assumed it was party areas.

With her gone I looked back around the party-grounds. It seemed like it might be ending soon, Luna and I having unconsciously switched control a little while ago and the pearly moon steadily rising over the land, the last rays of my sun fading away into the darkness. With the light gone, light’s slowly lit across the clearing and I heard the bell being rung by the palace cooks for everyone to gather for cake and the gift giving.

If even a quarter of the ponies that had come brought gifts then this was going to take a while and Twilight and I were going to have a lot of sorting to do later. At least most of them had only come to mingle at the newest princess’s party, not give gifts.


-  -  -


Dear Journal:

Today has been interesting, as I write Twilight is parading Astra in front of all of her friends. She has never been one to be boastful, but as I have seen so many times, mothers can get a little zealous of their children. Both Twilight and I could be guilty of that, though with Astra, I think I could be a little scared.

I haven’t told anyone this yet, Astra isn’t old enough yet to be any kind of threat to anything or anypony other than herself. But her power makes me uneasy whenever I see her use it, if only a little. What she had is different from the other ponies of power, those with extraordinary abilities, whereas those ponies developed slowly into their places, or were gifted at a moment of epiphany. With Astra, she grows with it. She already has a pool of magic that rivals Twilight’s own and it continues to grow. I do not know when, or even if it will stop.

It is hard to believe it has only been a year, so much has happened, my normal court activities made slower with the anticipation of getting back to my lover and child. Speaking of my lover, Twilight has gotten much bolder with her approaches. If one were to look at one of our nights, they would never guess that in the start, anything past kissing had to be studied by her thoroughly beforehand. And that it had taken nearly a full year for her to even be comfortable with letting our hooves cross the center of our bed at night.

I know Twilight doesn’t worry about Astra as I do, at least not in the ways I do. I do not even know why I worry, she is a sweet, lazy, little filly, and she spends most of her time sleeping in somepony’s mane, doing nothing but ensure she stays there. Ha, I remember earlier this year when she went through a whole court session in my own mane before I noticed her at the end.

She’s going to be so disappointed in a year or two when she gets too big for Twilight to handle, then probably more when she can't be comfortable floating in mine… that brings up a question I’ll have to ask Twilight to think about tomorrow about how she breathes in there while we sort out the mountain of presents for Astra (I really have no idea why there are so many).

I am being called over to congratulate Applejack on her merging of her farm with another nearby farmer, and from the sounds of it, she might just be getting a very special somepony soon~